Members of a Hindutva group called the Hindu Raksha Dal on Friday assaulted the residents of a slum in Ghaziabad after falsely labelling them Bangladeshi citizens, reported The Hindu.
Around 20 supporters of the group, led by its president Pinky Chaudhary, also smashed the huts and burned the residents’ belongings. The slum, near the Guldhar railway station, falls under the jurisdiction of the Madhuban Bapudham police station.
The police have registered a first information report against the attackers and confirmed that the slum residents are Indian citizens, not Bangladeshis, reported The Hindu.
According to media reports, the attack occurred shortly after Chaudhary issued a 24-hour “ultimatum” to the Indian government, demanding action against those responsible for the alleged atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh.
After the ouster of the Awami League leader on Monday due to student protests, reports emerged that Hindu homes and temples were attacked in several parts of the country. One school teacher was killed and at least 45 persons were injured as homes, businesses, and temples of Hindus were targeted this week, reported Reuters.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus, who was sworn in as the head of the interim government in Bangladesh, to ensure “the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities”.
Chaudhary and his supporters on Friday verbally abused, pushed and beat the slum dwellers and vandalized three to four huts, according to the first information report registered on a complaint by a policeman who had arrived at the spot.
“I explained to them that the people of the Muslim community living in the slums are not Bangladeshis but they continued shouting slogans, fighting and manhandling the slum dwellers, due to which some people got injured during the fight and some slums were damaged,” said the report.
Videos of the attack that have surfaced on social media purportedly show Chaudhary and his supporters assaulting children and the elderly in the slum.
The residents told the police that the attackers only asked them about their religion and not their nationality. Some families in the slum were Hindus, reported The Hindu quoting eyewitnesses.
Kavinagar Assistant Commissioner of Police Abhishek Srivastava told the newspaper that the slum, erected on freehold land, consists of approximately 10 to 15 houses. Investigation showed that none of the residents were from Bangladesh.
“Taking cognizance of the matter, police has filed a suo moto FIR against Hindu Raksha Dal president Pinky Chaudhary and his 15 to 20 supporters under relevant sections for creating violence, causing hurt, and damaging property, among others,” said Srivastava.
The attack came the same day that the Indian government set up a committee to monitor the current situation on the Indo-Bangladesh border.
The committee will maintain communication channels with their counterpart authorities in Bangladesh to ensure the safety of Indian citizens and people belonging to minority communities in Bangladesh.
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